Sri Kurmanayaki Sametha Sri Kurmanarayana Swamy vigraham was given to Mama (Sri Rajagopalan) by H.H. Sri V.V. Sridhar Guruji after a Mahaprayoga Yagnam in Srikurmam in the year 2006. Having been instructed by Guruji to bring the idol to USA, Mama, who was at that time living in Toronto was able to do so only after our temple land was acquired and the ground-breaking ceremony performed in 2007. This was the first vigraham (idol) to reach our temple.
Carved in teakwood, Sri Kurmanarayana, the Pradhana Murthy of the Srikurmam Yagnam, blesses one and all with prosperity.
It is believed that it was in the form of Kurmanarayana that Lord Vishnu negotiated with the Devathas and Asuras to co-operate with each other and churn out the Divine Ambrosia (Amrutham). The churning of the milky ocean first produced Halahalam (poison) which was absorbed by Lord Shiva, followed by the Kamadhenu, Sankhu, Chakram, Celestial Dancers, Mahalakshmi and then Amruthanarayana in the form of Mohini with the pot of Amrutham. We believe that Kurmam forms the base of our temple, and in fact, the temple land is in the shape of a turtle. The present temple is the back, curving down to the Northeast with the face towards the pond. It is indeed prophetic that when the ground- work for Bhoomi Puja was initiated, a turtle was found in the very spot where today’s Yagnashala is. Sri Kurmanarayanaswamy is a special deity whose blessings bring all-round welfare.